Reyhanli , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Protesters in a Turkish border town hit by a twin car-bombing a week ago clashed with police Saturday , as they voiced anger over the government 's response to the attack .

About 50 people were killed and about 100 injured when the blasts went off in the southern town of Reyhanli , in across the border from Syria 's Idlib province , on May 11 . One was at the community 's city hall and the other in front of a post office .

The protest Saturday began relatively peacefully but descended into chaos as running street clashes broke out with police .

Protesters threw rocks and bottles at the police , who responded by firing tear gas canisters and high-pressure paintballs . Officers also brought out a water cannon .

Women and children ran from the scene as thick clouds of tear gas spread through the streets at the heart of the confrontation .

Police prevented the protesters from reaching the site of the blasts in the center of the town , which lies in Turkey 's southern Hatay province .

The police have not yet commented on the clashes , which quietened down after less than an hour .

The protest -- which started with several thousand people but dwindled to a hard core of several hundred as trouble broke out -- was intended to show support and solidarity for the people of Reyhanli in the wake of the deadly bombings .

Many people in the town are angry at the government 's response and say its decision to take in Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict in their country has made Turkey a target for attacks .

The crowd chanted calls for Erdogan and the government to resign .

One family of demonstrators was mourning the death of Ayten Calim , a 20-year-old secretary from Reyhanli who was killed in the bombings last Saturday .

Her brother , Halim Calim , said , `` We are here to voice our pain . '' He and another brother carried Turkish flags and a banner with Ayten 's photo on it that read , `` We will not forget . ''

Some have criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for traveling to the United States this week instead of coming to Reyhanli to show support .

Erdogan has held talks with U.S. President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials in Washington .

Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Reyhanli Thursday , when he vowed that those responsible for the car bombs would be held accountable .

Celalettin Lekesiz , governor of Hatay province , said Saturday that security forces had detained 17 people so far in connection with the bomb attacks and are hunting for four others , the semi-official Anadolu news agency reported .

All 21 suspects are Turkish nationals , he said .

Lekesiz said the security forces now had detailed information about how the suspects allegedly acquired the explosives and staged the bomb attacks , the news agency reported .

Interior Minister Muammer Guler and other Turkish officials have accused a former Marxist terror group that they say maintains relations with Al Muhabarat , Syria 's intelligence services , according to Anadolu .

CNN 's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report

@highlight

NEW : Provincial governor says security forces have detained 17 people over last week 's attack

@highlight

Chanting crowds call for Turkey 's government and prime minister to resign

@highlight

A protest over the government 's handling of the attack in a Turkish border town turned violent

@highlight

About 50 people died and about 100 were injured in the explosions in Reyhanli